Rural

A topical question was submitted to the Parliament by the Member of Parliament for Messinia of SYRIZA-PS Alexis Haritsis to the Minister of Rural Development, on the occasion of the explosive dimensions that the ongoing for another year has taken problem of lack of land workersdue to the lack of planning and the absence of political will on the part of the government.

As stated in the text of his question, Al. Haritsis, h harvesting a series of critical and essential agricultural products becomes impossible now, with an indirect consequence of the ever-increasing abandonment of thousands of acres of arable land of agricultural land each year.

At the same time, Mr Member of Parliament for Messinia of SYRIZA-PS cites an excerpt from the announcement of the Agricultural Veterinary Association, which states that, “… the time-consuming procedures of invitation and issuing visas of land workers from third countriesthe slow processes for processing applications for the residence of irregularly residing land workers – by the time the first quarter is approved, the second is about to end, and the understaffing of the residence permit departments almost throughout our territory have led to impasse producers…».

Finally Al. Haritsis asks the Minister of Rural Development:

• What actions does he intend to take in order to end the wave of land workers fleeing and for this year’s harvest and the agricultural production process to take place smoothly in our country?

Here is the full text of the Current Question:

Athens, September 29, 2023

To the Minister of Rural Development and Food

Topic: “The continued lack of land workers for another year, leads to a decrease in agricultural production and to an economic impasse for the agricultural world”

The situation regarding the lack of the necessary land workers for agricultural production has recently taken on explosive proportions, due to the lack of planning and the absence of political will on the part of the government. The harvesting of a number of critical and essential agricultural products is now becoming impossible, with an indirect consequence of the ever-increasing abandonment of thousands of hectares of arable agricultural land every year.

As characteristically emphasized in a statement by the A.S.Filiatron of Trifylia, which constitutes the largest olive growing municipality and one of the largest centers of greenhouses and outdoor gardening in the country, “…the time-consuming procedures for inviting and issuing visas for land workers from third countries, the slow procedures processing requests for the residence of irregularly residing land workers – by the time the first quarter is approved, the second is about to end and the understaffing of the departments granting residence permits almost throughout our territory have led to a dead end for the producers…”. At the same time, the much-advertised intergovernmental agreements concluded by the government with Egypt and Bangladesh as a solution to the problem have not produced any results, since they have not yet been activated due to the multi-layered bureaucratic system.

The consequence of all the above is that foreign and skilled workers prefer to work in the neighboring countries of Italy and Spain where the legislation provides them with the necessary residence and work permits and full work rights. In our country, on the contrary, foreign workers are still in an illegal status, which has enormous effects on them, of course, but also on agricultural production and the viability of entire local economies.

Following these, the Minister is asked,

• What actions does he intend to take in order to end the wave of land workers fleeing and for this year’s harvest and the agricultural production process to take place smoothly in our country?

The questioning Member of Parliament

Haritsis Alexandros (Alexis)